Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones: Who Ya Got?

Anderson Silva is still considered by the majority of fans to be the pound-for-pound best fighter in mixed martial arts while Jon Jones is considered to be both the present and future of this sport.

So, if they ever fought, who ya got?

The Stand-Up Game

There is no denying Silva is the most dangerous and versatile striker currently competing inside the cage. If a fight with "The Spider" stays standing, it's not a matter if if but when he will finish his foe off with lethality. If Silva vs. Jones were to collide in a K-1 fight, where it stays upright, it's likely most would side with Silva.

That might be selling Jones a bit short, though.

His Muay Thai is actually quite good. From his clinch work to kicks, Jones is dangerous on his feet. He possesses that ridiculous 84-inch reach which puts everyone he faces at a genetic disadvantage. When he starts throwing flying knees, spinning elbows and whatever else he wants...all of it has the potential to deliver tipping point damage.

But those types of flashy moves could certainly backfire against the pinpoint attack of Silva. Jones would likely be pensive against Silva like he was against Lyoto Machida at UFC 140. Machida was able to tag "Bones" with a solid shot but was ultimately unable to capitalize before getting chocked lifeless in the second round.

In the end, Jones would not want to get into a fire fight with Silva; rather use everything in his stand up arsenal to keep Silva in check and look for his opening to take the fight to ground.

Ground Fight

If Jones got Silva to the ground, and was on top, he would certainly be in his element. If Chael Sonnen was able to take down and lay on top of Silva for four-and-a-half rounds then imagine what Jones could do with a reach which allows him to wing his elbows over and around his opponents with bad intentions (think Brandon Vera's broken orbital bone).

While Jones is not fully marinated on the ground, it is hard to imagine Silva being able to submit Jones due to Bones' combination of length and physicality. The most likely scenario would seem to be Silva struggling to keep Jones at bay. Anything is possible, though as Silva is a cagey BJJ black belt.

Intangibles

Jones is young, incredibly athletic and seems to have an air of inevitability about him. He is like Luke Skywalker, or Neo in the Matrix, coming into their own. Silva, on the other hand, is wise beyond his years—a Yoda or Morpheus if you will. Time is not on his side, though and you wonder when his body will finally betray him.

Jones is still progressing, Silva has not visibly started his decline.

So How Does It End?

If Silva can keep the fight standing long enough, it certainly favors him ending it by T(KO) and if Jones can keep it on the ground, he likely ends it by T(KO). And, either could in theory end things via submission with Silva pulling it off with some sort of favorable position while Jones doing so based on an opening after accumulated damage.

Unfortunately, this fight is unlikely to happen and fans will be left to pine over what could have been while pundits can only speculate on what the outcome might have been. While it will never satiate us, it will keep our mouths watering for years to come and beyond.